Cotton-grader.



L. A. GREENE. COTTON GRADER. APPLICATION FILED Mums, 1914.

Patented Dec.8,1914.

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LEMUAL A. GREENE, OFGREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.8,1914t.

Application .filed March 16, 1914. Serial No. 825,019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEMUAL A. GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gotton-Graders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton graders.

The grading of cotton in order to determine its market value, can most rapidly and conveniently be done by comparing a sample thereof with quantities of cotton of which the grade and consequently the value has been predetermined by reason of color, luster or cleanness, and it is further necessary for the purpose to ascertain the value as determined by length of fiber of the cotton.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cotton grader by the use of which the value of a sample of cotton may quickly and accurately be ascertained by comparing it with samples the grades whereof have previously been found and whereby also the value as affected by the average length of fiber may be determined.

With this object in view the invention consists of a cotton grader having the novel generic and specific features of construction and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which two forms of embodiment of the invention are shown.

In this drawing; Figure 1 illustrates a grader of rectangular form; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the grader shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a planview of a grader of circular form; Fig. 4 is a central vertical view of the grader shown in Fig. 3; and, Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the partitions employed.

In Figs. 1 and 2, 1 represents the outer frame of a case which is rectangular in general contour, preferably formed of sheet metal, and in which are arranged dividing walls or partitions 2 so disposed as to form a number of compartments 3 extending around the edge of the structure and to form in the middle thereof a compartment 4: having an open bottom which abuts against all the compartments 3 and is separated therefrom only by the thin walls or partitions 2.

Each of the compartments 3 is provided with a bottom 5, and these compartments as well as the middle compartment l are preferably covered by a transparent cover 6. The compartment 4: is bottomless in order to allow the introduction into it from the lower side of the grader of a sample of cotton whose value is to be determined, and to perm1t such sample to be brought into close proxlmlty to the compartments 3.

In the form of grader shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, a central circular compartn'ient 7 having an open bottom is surrounded by a serles of compartments 8 arranged around the compartment7 and separated by radial partitions 9.

Each of the compartments 3 and 8 of the respective forms, except one has arranged thereln a quantity of cotton whose grade has been previously determined and by WhlCh the compartments are completely filled.

In each form of the grader one of the outer compartments has arranged therein near the top thereof a transverse partition 10, and placed between such partition and the transparent cover 6 are samples of cotton the fiber whereof has been thumbed or straightened out in order to show the qual- 1ty and length of the fiber of such samples. The samples thus displayed may be removed from the seed or may be left adhering thereto, but preferably a portion is separated from the seed and the remainder is left adhering thereto. These samples are held bv the partitions 10 close to the transparent cover 6 so that a quantity of the cotton to be graded may after being straightened out be placed in close proximity to the samples retained in place by the partitions, and its value as determined by length of fiber, gloss, etc., as compared with the gtraightened samples contained in the grader, and whose value has been determined, conveniently be ascertained.

The compartment of each form of grader in which the transverse partition is placed has indicated on the transparent cover thereof a scale 11 indicating inches and fractions thereof. The scale may be formed by cutting into the glass cover or a strip of papers, wood or the like having a scale indicated 011 it may be attached to the glass in any suitable way.

In the use of a grader of the form shown the approximate value of a sample of cotton may quickly be determined by introducing it into the middle compartment and 7 moving it around the same until brought into proximity to a corresponding sample of cotton whose grade has been determined. Then a more accurate estimate of the value of a sample is tobe made, a small quantity of the "sample is thumbed and is brought into position close to the thumbed or straightened samples whose value by reason of length, color, gloss, etc., has been ascertained. The described arrangement of the thumbed or straightened samples of predetermined value is such as to permit the placing of a straightened sample of unknown value in such close proximity to them as to facilitate the exact determination of the value of the unknown sample because of comparative length of fiber, color, gloss and other governing characteristics.

I claim:

1. A cotton grader comprising a case having an opening therein, a series of compartments surrounding the opening filled with samples of cotton of known value, and

a compartment adjacent to the opening containing samples 01 cotton whose values have been determined, having the fiber thereof straightened.

2. A cotton grader comprising a case havso ing an opening therein, a series of coinpartments surrounding the opening filled with samples of cotton of known value, a compartment ad acent to the opening containing samples of cotton whose values have been determined, having the fiber thereof straightened, and a transparent cover ar ranged over the opening and the compartments.

3. A cotton grader comprising a case having an opening therein, a series of coinpartments surrounding the opening filled with sam les of cotton, a compartment adjacent to the opening containing samplesof cotton whose values have been determined, having the fiber thereof stra ghtened, a transparent cover arranged over the opening and the compartments, and a scale located LEMUAL A. GREENE.

lVitnesses C. F. SOHWING, T. O. HICKS.

fiopieis of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Ya tents,

Washington, D. U. I 

